The Flubug
by The Nevermore Raven
Summary: *On hiatus* What a beautiful autumn day. Good day for a walk. Unfortunately, after enjoying one with Amy, Shadow will catch something nobody wants...
1. Tickled Pink

**The Flubug  
**By: _Nevermore Raven_  
Chapter 1  
_Tickled Pink_

_A.N. In a nutshell, this will be more fluff, mostly in the first chapter._

* * * * *

Dressed in nothing more than my own shoes, I was wandering through a grove of trees as the leaves faintly rustled in the background, wind softly brushed my face in a soothing caress, and a mild chill filled the crisp autumn air. The trees around me were producing a spectacular performance of vibrant crimson, hot orange, bright yellow and rich gold display every which way I could turn, a masterpiece brought to life. The ground was covered in tan and brown leaves that had already fallen, leaving a moist, crunchy carpet for my feet to walk upon as I observed my surroundings. I haven't been through a fall this beautiful in years, and I wanted to enjoy it as it lasted.

The sky was a brilliant blue, with a few fluffy clouds of white cotton billowing in the distance, and the bright sun splashed the earth with brilliant rays of golden light. Towering wooden sentries cast big shadows upon the ground, producing patches of sunlight and shade on the forest floor. I decided to settle against the trunk of a pine crowned with thick deep green, tufted needles. I remained a moment and in my silence listened to the trees rustle as a soft breeze rattled thousands upon thousands of leaves in the near distance. It wasn't long before the gust of wind flowed over the pine, causing it to produce a soothing hush that calmed my mind. I enjoyed its gentle song and inhaled the air, smelling the scent of damp earth and minty pine aroma, which served to relax me further. For a moment I stared up at the crown of my tree, observing the swaying, glistening sprays as they danced with the wind.

From nowhere, a pair of arms wrapped around me, and I jumped a foot and gasped in surprise. "Fuzzy!" I wasn't alone. My attacker had smothered me in her embrace and a faint scent of rose petals reached my nose. The intruder emitted a playful laugh before tightening her embrace and producing a gentle sigh. "Got you now... Fuzzy." A second giggle left her mouth.

I have arrived at the conclusion that Rose is quite affectionate. At the very least, she has grown _more_ affectionate. Considering the increasing frequency of her tightly fastened hugs that surround my ebony form, and the amount of times she coos and nuzzles me with her soft cheeks, she definitely is growing closer with me. The fact she claims I am _soft_, _warm_, _cuddly_, and _sweet_ doesn't spare me from her wrath. Once she found out the secret about me being _ticklish_, her hugs have escalated all the more in number. At times I wonder how she finds me to be so endearing in her lovely emerald eyes. I honestly enjoy her attention a great deal, yet I am hopelessly bashful when she catches me and apparently tries to... bury her entire face within the soft down on my chest.

This was such an occurrence. The pink hedgehog had enclosed me in her vise grip and was squeezing me once more, softly giggling and sighing as she hugged against my body. I took a breath before softly asking her about her loving habit. "Amy?" The pink female buried her nose in my fur for the umpteenth time and let out a sigh of contentment. I could feel the warmth of her breath settle upon my chest before she replied.

"Yes, Fuzzy?" Her arms tightened around my shoulders as she burrowed deeper into my fluff.

"Why are you hugging me so much? Why do you keep squeezing me? Why are you nuzzling my chest? And... Why do you call me 'Fuzzy'?"

The reaction was an affectionate coo as she squealed and raised her face to kiss my cheek. "Because, you are the cutest, nicest, softest, fuzziest boy I've ever met! You're a sweetheart, Shadow!" A second kiss to my lips followed closely behind her remark. Her unexpected reaction caused a wave of heat to tingle on the back of my neck. As I felt my cheeks faintly burn with heat, the rose hedgehog giggled lovingly and rested her head on my shoulder, and I could feel her tender warmth spread across my fur once more, making me feel content and calm as she held me.

I gently, ever so lightly embraced her and lifted her from my shoulder, causing her to pause in confusion as her perplexed thoughts expressed themselves in the emerald depths of her gorgeous eyes. "Amy, you are by far the most beautiful rose I have ever seen, and I mean that in more ways than just looks." The girl sighed dreamily as she heard me whisper into her ear. I raised my hand to brush her quills with my fingers, relishing how silky soft they felt and glad I could feel them since I hadn't been wearing my gloves.

"Shadow..." Her eyes hid themselves briefly as her cheeks burned and turned to a shade of pink matching her fur. Her green eyes lit up, and she suddenly reached forward and started to poke my chest with her hands, dancing her fingers across my belly and causing me to twitch briefly before I exploded in laughter as she exploited my weakness. "I'm _tickling_ you for that!"

"Oh no! Ahah! Amy-hah! Haha! Please-ha! Please stop!" The girl didn't soften her assault upon my ticklish nerves and continued a barrage of her cruelty in a second wave. "HAHA! STOP IT!!" I struggled to get any words out edgewise between my uncontrollable laughter as my senses were tortured! In desperation, I reached out to counterattack the offender with tickles of my own, luckily causing her to cease fire completely as I gained ground. The infringer now became a victim to her own trickery, and a chain of giggles filled the forest.

"AHHH! SHADOW!!!" Both of us were laughing now, and I soon stopped once I tried to catch my breath since it fled at the first twitch of her sinister fingers. Once I stopped Amy glomped me with a bear hug and I returned her embrace, both of us enveloping the other with loving arms. I savored the feeling of her curved body resting in my arms as I observed the emerald eyes of my pink flower. The rose gently, lovingly kissed me once more on the lips as I stared into her eyes, causing me to blush once again.

A soft, satisfied laugh left her soft lips as she smiled and relished the sight of reddened warmth on my cheeks. She reached up and stroked my forehead. "Fuzzy, you're so cute..."

* * * * *

Since I was no longer _alone_, we decided to wander around. I held my girl's beautiful hand in my own, and I admired the surrounding forest in its rich palette of fiery tones, as well as bashfully glancing to the side to admire the beautiful lady who accompanied me. At one instant the girl caught me watching her, and her eyes watched me as I blushed after I realized she saw me. Amy let a gentle smile remain on her lips as she observed my surprised eyes and flaring face.

"Fuzzy, what are you doing?" I heard the dainty female inquire as I quickly looked away in embarrassment, causing my cheeks to burn all the hotter, approaching the brilliant red shades of the maple trees around us.

"Um..." My stuttered reply left me feeling all the more awkward as I paused. "I-I'm ad-admiring your b-b-beauty, Amy." The rose did the exact thing needed to cause my face to catch on fire. A soft pair of lips brushed my tan cheek as my girlfriend cooed in her appeasement.

"Fuzzy, you are so sweet!"

As my heart raced and overwhelming waves of heat made me feel as if I was at the mouth of a burning lava pool, I fainted and allowed myself to land on the carpet of leaves at our feet. As I felt my weight shift backwards and my head felt pulled with it in my fall, the soft rustle of leaves absorbed the impact and my eyes were then staring at the sky. A pleased laugh filled the air as Rose adored my reaction, and peered over me to stare me in the eyes. "Shadow, that's so cute!"

Before I knew it, I felt weight settle in my lap as the girl placed her shapely hips right on top of me! _Oh. My. God._ Rose sat sideways on my lap as she turned her head to face me before wrapping her arms around my neck and resting her curvaceous breasts upon my tuft, causing my quills to press further into the leaves. I swallowed in my anxiety as I realized she was extremely close to me. The Rose once more stared into my eyes. My heart felt like it would burst at any moment. I felt my stomach lurch and fill with butterflies as a feeling of numb warmth washed through my tensed nerves. I went limp like I was Amy's life-sized doll.

"Fuzzy, you do the silliest things around me." A pleased laugh left her lips as she drew closer to me, and kissed me once more, ever so softly on my lips as crimson eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat. My thoughts plunged into the deep emerald fire of her lovely eyes. _Her eyes are so beautiful..._ My heart was drowning in the green seas, drowning. But I was contented with being completely immersed, for she was so soothing and gentle, so calming. Rose moved back from me as a sigh of relief left my throat. My face cooled and my heart slowed down to a less erratic pace. As I gathered my thoughts, I stood back up and offered the rare flower my hand, which she gladly accepted. Lifting with the motion of one arm, I pulled the girl back on her feet. I started to speak, but was softly silenced by a gentle finger before I could even begin.

"I know, Fuzzy. You are right... but sometimes you are so cute!" Amy laughed. I regained my composure as I complimented this delicate flower that I loved so deeply.

"You are beautiful, Amy Rose. I love you."

"Awww. Fuzzy!" The Rose embraced me in her loving arms as I couldn't help from giving her a gentle smile. After the quiet moment, Amy laughed as I arched an eyebrow and wondered why she was allowing more giggles to seep out of her sweet lips. "Fuzzy, there are leaves stuck in your quills..." As I considered the truth of her statement, I joined her hearty laughter. Amy only laughed louder in reply as we both fed off the other's giggles and chuckles. Walking amongst the changing leaves with Rose, I haven't felt this happy in a long time...

* * * * *

_A.N. Rose sure loves to cuddle Shadow, doesn't she? What Shadow was about to say was they should 'slow things down.' After all, the younger of the two is only 17..._


	2. Cold Weather

**The Flubug  
**Chapter 2  
_Cold Weather_

* * * * *

Once we had resumed our stroll for the second time, it was then I noticed that the sky was gradually transforming. Where there were once a few bundles of cotton in the blue ocean of breezes and currents of wind, now there were a few large, grey and black monsters, crawling with a dogged determination towards us ever so slowly from the distance. I took a moment to observe the rapidly changing circumstances before a sweet voice that haunted my dreams called my name in wonder.

"Fuzzy? Are you okay?" I took a second glance at the sky far above the canopy of golden leaves before giving a reply. I had doubt about this new event, considering it was a good idea to call our fun to an end and head for home.

"Amy, the weather is acting up. Look at those thunderheads..." The rose lifted her emerald eyes to view the sight, after staring at me to make sure I was not on the bleak verge of insanity amidst our wonderful, sunny day. With perfect timing, as the lovely lass saw the raging heavens, a sharp gust of wind caused an ensemble of rattling leaves, sending hundreds of the delicate golden objects swirling all around us in a ballet with the wind. Perhaps this was our fair warning; the heavens were known to change on the flip of a dime without any previous alarm, wreaking havoc on entire fleets, on armies, and cavalry since the ancient times...

I heard a disappointed sigh leave the throat of my pink blossom, and turned to her and placed my hand firmly, yet gently on her forehead before stroking it as she turned to me in surprise. I massaged her quills and gave her a reassuring smile before grabbing her hand and starting off in a seemingly random direction.

"Wait. Shadow, what're you doing?" The female raised her voice in concern as we trudged forward.

"It's best if we head for home, Rose." My firm and stoic tone left no room for argument...

* * * * *

By the time we reached her house, the clouds had dominated the entire sky with impending doom, and a slight barrage of needles accompanied harsh gusts of wind. I decided to carry Rose in order to save time since she had slowed down in the cold, since the rain and weather wouldn't wait for us as the girl shivered away.

Not surprisingly, the girl decided to reply with a giggle and promptly proceeded to nuzzle my downy chest, cuddling to my body as she savored the warmth and her shivering subsided in the shelter of my arms. "Fuzzy, you're very cuddly..." Her comment teased my cheeks with a blush, yet Amy was too busy hugging me to notice the reaction of my tan muzzle.

Without warning, sharp gusts of wind caused a metallic crash to sound out from behind us as we both turned to face the commotion. A trash can fell over in the storm, spilling its contents onto its owner's driveway, sending a brown paper bag and a soda can rolling down into the street. I wish I had seen it sooner, but I hadn't. A used tissue landed with a flap right smack in the middle of my face, landing on my nose and waving in my eyes victoriously before I hesitantly pulled it off with my free hand.

"Shadow, are you alright?" A gentle voice called me as I wrinkled my nose in disgust. The offending item was hastily dropped as another gust of wind pulled it away and rustled our furry bodies, as if to remind us of the bad weather.

"Bleh. Stupid tissue..." I continued home as the rain started to pick up and doubled in moments. By now the houses around us were covered with rain, thin white gutters rattled and drummed as rainwater flowed through them from the rooftops onto the yards below. On instinct, I tightened my grip on Amy in an effort to conceal her from the rain's moisture.

One pastel pink house stood out in my mind. The house was a pleasant two-story, having a front porch that covered the left half of the house, stopping at a corner where the living room faced out the front yard with a large picture window. We passed by the few pleasant, but now rustling trees in her front yard as the rain started to pour. I was worried about her safety, so it was a relief to finally walk up the steps of the covered porch to her front door and reach out to give the white door three knocks. On that porch, the rain was stopped fast by the shingled roof and the wind was partially blocked from one side, giving both of us some much welcomed comfort. I gently placed the girl on her feet, making sure to hold her hand in case she tripped after our journey.

Rose turned around and watched me before laughing softly as she saw water dripping from my ears and nose, a result of my soaked fur. "Aw. Thank you, Fuzzy; your warm, soft belly kept me nice and dry!" I felt a soft pair of rose petals gently caress my cheek. Even though I was chilled by the rain, my muzzle started to burn from her affectionate display. I couldn't help wondering in the back of my mind where that heat came from, since I felt rather cold due to my fur being wet and exposed to the dancing wind provided by the storm...

* * * * *

After shaking myself violently in order to fling the extra water from my quills, we both entered the cozy house with a feeling of relief. Once we were inside I sat on the plush green armchair in the living room, silently observing the weather outside. The storm around the house became slowly, steadily angrier and colder as the thermometer dropped, winds picked up speed and the rain doubled intensity once more. The once constant patter of rain on the roof became a roar, and sheets of water rippled steadily down the window to the front yard. I was mesmerized by the flowing rain on the window and my thoughts drifted away somewhere. Amy's generous parents offered to let me spend the night, since they feared it was too rough to go outside and brave the weather to get back to Tails' place.

* * * * *

Amy has told me time and time again that her parents like me very much, and this invitation was an example of their softened feelings. They were more than satisfied by the way I treated Rose; putting my coat on her in the rain a few months ago at my expense, opening doors for her everywhere we went, not to mention the many times she has fussed over my compliments and the gentle manner in which I express affection to her.

Once she mentioned that the time I escorted her to high school, there was a profound reaction. I finally had managed to get my citizenship for the country before the school year had started, and since we both were going to the same place, I decided to myself "Why not? She'll love it!" That year was awkward since I was two years older than most of the seniors there. Many of the girls seemed to stare at me with awe and wonder, including popular ones that ruled the top rungs of the social ladder. Amy told me it was because of my pitch black fur and rich ruby eyes... But that was beside the point.

I carried my sweet little Rose to the school from her house, running with my characteristic speed that could outpace all of the traffic around us and I decided to take a secret shortcut through the deep woods to the edge of our campus. A moderate rain had fallen upon the town that morning and I wore my grey overcoat to keep the rain off me, although I couldn't run as fast since it covered my knees and slowed me down somewhat.

The surrounding pines and shrubbery of the nearby woods gave way to rolling hills of green grass and sidewalks surrounding a cluster of brick buildings full of classrooms and hallways, with occasional spots for planted shade trees and benches scattered throughout. And so I carried Amy as if she was the most precious treasure in the world -and she was- up the steps to the front entrance.

Step by step I rose to the top of the entrance and was within reach of the front doors, but once we got there about a dozen girls stopped dead in their tracks and _stared_ at us. As I firmly clutched Amy in my arms, I set her down on the cement and unbuttoned my coat to fold it over my arm. The silence was awkward and heavy, pressing onto my mind and upsetting my formerly contented mood.

I couldn't shake off the tense feeling in my nerves as I tried to ignore the other girls and returned a loving hug from my pretty girlfriend. Opening the door for her, we waved to each other a last time before we walked our separate ways to class. Young, beautiful girls ogled over me the rest of the day. It seems hedgehogs, foxes, wolves, cats, bats, even human girls stared at me and gossiped fervently to their peers, babbling ceaselessly through class, lunch, during break; all day, and it continued on a milder scale the rest of the week.

Amy told me that Friday as we walked home that her friends gossiped and fussed about it the entire week. She couldn't hide the thrill in her eyes as she giggled excitedly. "I love you to death, Fuzzy! You made the most popular girls in school green in envy and fuss over you!" I couldn't withhold a laugh as Rose hugged me tight on our way home.

"I don't get it, Amy. I was only doing that because I love you so much," I replied honestly.

"Aw. Shadow, you're sweet!" A pair of soft lips pecked my cheek for an instant. I grinned bashfully as my cheeks flared up in the afternoon breeze...

* * * * *

Once my little daydream had ended, the smell of a delicious food filled the air from the nearby kitchen as Rose's mom prepared a hot dinner for the four of us to enjoy.

The kitchen was right behind the living room; a rather nice kitchen with finished wooden cabinets, a polished granite countertop, and appliances that all were shining, silvery stainless steel. A table was to the side of the cabinets right next to the kitchen area, the very place were the family would dine unless it was on an occasion, like Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, or with company around.

After fixing my hamburger to suit my desire, with all of the things available, Mrs. Rose was amused by my several compliments to her meal, as well as the fact I inhaled the entire thing in moments, causing Mrs. Rose and Amy to start laughing once I sighed in contentment and started to pat my belly. It was a good dinner, filling my hungry stomach with warm, meaty, hamburger, crisp lettuce, fleshy tomato, spicy onion, and sour pickle.

Afterwards, I decided to take a shower in the guest bathroom. For one reason or another I was tired and wanted to hit the hay pronto. I thought it was because I had such a big day, and it was, to a point. What I didn't know was that a certain crusty tissue had lended me something I wouldn't enjoy much...

_A.N. You people don't seem to realize how inspiring a **nice** **review** would... nevermind._


	3. The Visit

**The Flubug  
**Chapter 3  
_The Visit_

* * * * *

Flopped into my bed in a haphazard fashion, my head sank into my pillow as the flannel sheets enveloped my body with their plush caress. It was once I had settled into my bed and started to drift away into a slumber that I failed to realize the door I left cracked open was silently pushed further open, and a certain pink face stared at me before approaching. By that point my eyes were closed and the only sign of another's presence was the hushed breathing other than my own. I was too sleepy to be awoken when a pair of hands started to stroke my chest and send fingers deeper into the soft down for a moment, probing the fluff and being joined by a moderate weight that settled on me before letting a calm breath out in contentment.

My eyes sprang opened to find the sight of Amy nuzzling me, sitting on me and resting her head on a makeshift pillow of silky white fuzz. My chest rose as I took a breath and spoke to the 'intruder' that found home on my belly. "Amy, what are you doing?" I whispered.

"Fuzzy, I thought it was impossible, but you're softer and cuddlier now than when you carried me home today." I heard a soft giggle before she continued. "Why are you so cuddly, Fuzzy?"

"I use conditioner in the shower, Amy," I replied reluctantly. God, this girl cuddles a lot. I've become her giant teddybear!

"Awww. Fuzzy, I love your cuddly belly," the pink blossom commented as I felt the warmth of her breath settle on my fur. The rose lifted her face to watch my crimson eyes with her own. "You're so damn cute, Shadow." A soft pair of lips pressed into mine for an instant before I realized it. As my cheeks burned in my embarrassment, the beautiful girl atop me let out another pleased laugh. "I love you, Shadow. Goodnight." Like that, her weight moved off of me as she stood back up and her eyes continued to watch mine.

"Amy?" I started to ask, trying to think of something to tell her before she left.

"What is it, Shadow?" I heard her sweet voice faintly rise in concern while her gorgeous emeralds watched me, seeming almost to glow on their own.

"You have the most beautiful green eyes I have ever seen in my entire life," I finished with a gentle grin. The rose had a faint blush tease her soft cheeks, and I could notice them in the dim light.

"Thank you, Fuzzy. I think you have the most beautiful rubies I have ever seen in my life. Goodnight." With her sentence finished she silently slipped out of view, and the surroundings once again were silent in the room. I paused to reflect on her compliment before I lowered my head back onto the pillow and drifted off to sleep...

_A.N. This chapter is quite short, but it doesn't need to say much. Just a little more fluff before a certain hedgie falls asleep..._


	4. Unpleasant Surprise

**The Flubug  
**Chapter 4  
_Unpleasant Surprise_

* * * * *

That night, a pestilence was quickly at work as Amy's favorite teddybear spent time sawing major logs. I was to find that out in the morning as my head gave protest with a throbbing headache that hammered away on my eyes and squeezed my brains out. I felt as if something was trying to literally force my brain through my nose, and the intensity of it was nothing subtle.

Accompanying the headache was my throat, which had become terribly dry and sore. It blatantly refused to cease making me cough again and again, only seeming to make it feel worse as my nose dripped, dripped, dripped down my throat, inciting another barrage of coughing. I forced myself to get up because I needed to go to the restroom, after going overnight uninterrupted as my health unknowingly went down the drain. With a lift of the covers and a rubbing of my eyes, I slinked to the toilet as I struggled to stay upright in my lousy condition. The sight that welcomed me wasn't pleasant. In the mirror I was greeted by tired, bloodshot eyes, a burning red face and disheveled fur and quills pointing every which way. I moaned in disgust and cursed the tissue that smacked my face the previous evening as I looked closer at my face. One word summed up my thoughts as I examined myself further. Yuck.

My muscles and my chest ached without remorse. With a sniffle, I finished and washed my hands before returning to bed and burying myself completely in the covers, much more than I had previously. A box of tissues and a wastebasket were conveniently at the bedside, so I busied myself with the attempt of clearing my nostrils. In spite of my head inflating like a balloon as I blew into the soft tissue and the great amount of crap that came out, I still felt congested and the headache didn't lessen even in the least.

Moments after I finished the third tissue, the door opened as confused emerald orbs studied me in shock, noting my unkempt appearance. With a rush to the nightstand, she turned the lamp on, sending a flare of warm golden light through the room in order to see me better.

"Oh my God! Shadow, what happened?" I wanted to sound better than I looked -and felt- in my answer, but all I could manage was a tormented moan as I grasped my head. In the blink of an eye, the Rose bolted up to me and placed her hand on my forehead to feel my temperature before alerting her parents.

"Amy, don't wake them up. Please." My plea was ignored as the thumping of footsteps traveled down the hallway and beyond reach. I sighed in frustration. She shouldn't bother her parents on the weekend just because I'm sick! I waited in the bed, sitting up to watch them when they returned. In a moment, two women, one very young and the other of middle-age, rushed to my bedside with a bottle of painkillers and a thermometer in tow.

"Amy, you don't have to do all this for..." I started before I was hushed.

"I'll do it anyway! You're my baby, Fuzzy and I'll take care of you. Open your mouth and lift your tongue, please," Rose answered as she poised her hand in the air, aiming the device like a sword to my face. I sighed in defeat and opened up as I felt the cold metal probe slip under my tongue, tickling my gums with its chilling presence. Since I was sitting up with my body mostly exposed, I started to feel frozen stiff in spite of my cold sweat.

The thermometer warmed up before announcing its final measurement with a beep and Rose pulled it out with concern in her eyes, her mom continuing to study my reddened face. "Shadow, your temp is through the roof. You are at 104F. (That's 40C.) If you were three degrees hotter, you'd have to go to the hospital. You must have the flu, no doubt. The cold doesn't cause such a fever..."

"Amy! What if you get it, too? And what if I bother you with this? What if..." I was gently pushed down into the bed and tucked in like a baby. In spite of my fever, I was shivering since I felt so cold. Apparently my body was still getting warmer as we spoke. "You need to rest, Shadow. Lie down. Mom and I will take care of you."

Within the next five minutes, Rose fetched a glass of grape juice and her mom was preparing something hot. I could barely smell it through my nose, and Amy returned with painkillers and a large glass full of the wine-red liquid, offering them to me in earnest. "Shadow, red grape juice is a dark fruit product. Dark fruits such as grapes, cranberries, and blackberries are full of stuff that will boost your body and help you fight back."

In spite of my miserable discomfort, I managed a warm grin and thanked her before I downed the entire sweet, cold glass in no time, to the last drop. "Wow. Thirsty, Shadow?" Rose grinned with amusement.

"Shadow, don't you have a super immune system or something?" I had to fight through the wall of pain from my headache to answer with clarity.

"Yes, Amy. The professor told me I take half the time to heal or get well as anyone else." Amy paused momentarily as she considered my statement.

"If that flu knocked you out like this, it could have landed someone else in the ER. It must have been a nasty one."

"Amy, why did you tuck me in?" I wondered aloud as emerald eyes studied me.

"Because you are shivering. Even though you have a fever, your body needs to reach the new temperature it reset to. I want to make that as easy as possible for you, so you can save your energy to fight back."

In moments, a bowl of the hot item that was cooking downstairs was brought right up by Mrs. Rose to my room and placed beside my bed. In my exhausted state I wasn't very hungry, but it aroused my attention regardless.

"This is hot chicken broth, Shadow. This also will help you get well. Eat it up." For a moment I stared at the bowl after it was placed in my lap and felt the hot moisture warm my face.

"But I'm not very hungry, Mrs. Rose," I replied honestly.

"Of course not, Shadow. You're sick." Slowly, a spoon full at a time, I drank the sustenance that was barely at a tolerable heat, and it almost burned my throat and filled my heart with warmth, soothing my body as it trickled into my belly. The hot steam relaxed my nose somehow and it provided welcome relief to my discomfort.

"That soup was so good. It made me feel better." Amy and Mrs. Rose looked at each other before returning their eyes on me. Amy spoke to me in a gentle tone, as her sweet voice completely filled my ears and echoed in my mind like a lullaby.

"Get some sleep, my sweet hedgehog."

"I'll... I'll try..." The bowl was removed from my lap as I slid once more beneath the covers, wrapping myself up to my neck in the soft sheets before I closed my eyes. With a click, the light was turned off and the door closed. The painkillers were doing their work, and the warm stew in my belly was completed with the warming cocoon of covers, helping me forget my turmoil and sending my mind back into doing what I needed the most; rest...


	5. Burning

**The Flubug  
**Chapter 5  
_Burning_

* * * * *

Of all the symptoms of flu that really bothered, there was one that stood out for me; the fever. Although my temperature was sky high and my caretakers felt very cold when they touched me, I was plagued throughout my body by shivering, clattering teeth and wave after wave of freezing cold chills. On instinct I wrapped myself in the bed covers, attempting to ward off the cold sensation with the warm, comforting cocoon of cotton. As I sniffled away and blew my nose on more tissues, Amy approached the bed with a new yellow box of tissues.

"Are you feeling any better after that nap?" The Rose inquired. She brushed a pink bang of quills out of her eyes as she watched me.

"Yeah, a little. The soup and juice helped a lot," I replied with a stretch of my arms as I sat up.

"Shadow, I got these at the drugstore for you today. These kill viruses, so hopefully we won't get whatever it is you have," Amy explained before she held the box before me. I reached out to grab a piece and noticed it had small blue polka dots all over it.

"Thank you, Amy. I know you don't want what I have at all." With a puff of my nose, I sent more mess into the once clean tissue and threw it into the trashcan.

"That's what you think, Fuzzy. There are a few things of yours I want, like your thoughtfulness, your beautiful crimson eyes, your cuddly belly and soft ebony fur, your strong hugs and your sweet kisses, and eventually a few... other things." Whoa. I bashfully looked up at the rose as my eyes widened to the size of saucers. A giggle slipped out of Rose's lips while she returned my gaze.

"Umm... you're what? I mean, uh, sure I'm serious about y-you and s-staying together, b-but... y-you're thinking about th-that?" I gulped as my already burning face became hotter. Amy let out a hearty laugh, amused by my stuttering. Awkward silence followed, like a badly misplaced pause in a classic symphony.

"Yes, Shadow. But that'll be in due time. There's no need to rush, I just like planning ahead." She's planning ahead, alright!

"Oh. I'm glad you can wait. I was meaning to bring that up, but not at such... an awkward time." The pink hedgehog laughed softly. Emerald eyes locked with rubies as an almost magic bond bridged between them, sending unfathomable thoughts, hopes, and dreams that no assembly of words could ever begin to express.

"Awww! Fuzzy, even when you're sick you still are cute! You're so red; I swear I could crack an egg on your forehead right now and fry it for breakfast!" The young woman laughed as I provided a sheepish grin. Her last comment didn't exactly help me cool down too well.

"Speaking of which, what time is it?" I reached around and scratched my back.

"It is around lunch time, Shadow. Are you hungry?"

As I opened my mouth to answer my stomach beat me to the punch, giving protest that sounded like a dying cow. Rose stared wide-eyed at me in surprise before exploding in laughter and suddenly grabbing my hand...

_A.N. XD Well, that topic certainly made Shadow's face redder than a tomato! Especially since Amy brought it up! Now that it was out of the closet, the two have made a decision together. Now, watch as Amy scrambles and cooks an omelette on Shadow's burning face! LOL..._


End file.
